


Angel And The Beast

by bluejaythebeautiful



Series: Supernatural Disney AUs [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, M/M, Slow Build Castiel/Dean Winchester, angels are supposed to be merpeople, castiel is belle, dean is the beast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 11,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4284459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluejaythebeautiful/pseuds/bluejaythebeautiful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Dean has been cursed since he was 19 years old. He must live as a beast until he finds love, but if he doesn't by his 29th birthday, he will stay a beast forever.<br/>Castiel is a young man who lives in a nearby town. He accidentally discovers the castle and it's inhabitants, and learns of the curse, but will he be able to break it in time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Curse

An old woman staggered along a wooded path. She was cloaked in darkness, her face illuminated by a lantern she held in one hand. In the other, she had a single rose. She came upon a castle and sighed in relief. Switching the rose to her other hand, she knocked three times.

  
A young man who looked about 19 answered the door. It was Prince Dean, the oldest of the two princes of the kingdom. He scowled down at the woman. "What do you want?"

  
The old lady held up the rose. "I wish to stay here for a few nights. You can have this flower as payment. You won't even notice me."

  
The prince laughed at her. "Ha! No way am I letting the likes of _you_ stay here. Now leave."

  
He turned to shut the door, but stopped as a bright light engulfed the woman. Her ugliness melted away to reveal bright red hair and a scar circling her neck. It was Abaddon, one of the most feared demons.

  
Dean's eyes widened. "Abaddon? I-I'm sorry, you can stay, free of charge. Please forgive me for my earlier refusal."

  
The demonic woman shook her head and smirked evilly. "No. You have shown that you are not worthy of me. You will be punished for your insolence."

She snapped her fingers and a horrible transformation overtook the prince. His face lengthened into a snout, and dark blond hair covered his entire body. He had been turned into a hideous beast. Dean turned to see that his servants were going through a transformation of their own. They were being turned into common household items.

  
He looked back at Abaddon. "You bitch. Why would you do this?!?" His green eyes sparkled with fury as he stared.

  
The demon shrugged. "You are obviously incapable of love. You and everyone else here are going to stay like this forever unless you can find love before the last petal falls on your 29th birthday. Good luck." She left the rose next to the beast and vanished in a flash of lime green light.


	2. Ten Years Later

In a small village near the castle, there lived a young man named Castiel and his adopted father Jimmy. They lived on the outskirts of town near the beach, far from anyone else. Castiel was the only one of the two who really interacted with the townspeople, since Jimmy was almost always in the basement working on a new invention. He normally sent Cas into the town for any supplies he needed.

Castiel was there now, a bag of various things hanging from his arm, his nose stuck in a book. He settled himself on one of the town's benches to avoid everyone's stares. True, everyone thought he was the odd one out, but they had doted on him since the beginning. They loved giving him free samples, books, or whatever he needed. There was one person who resented that, though.  
Cas turned as he felt a tap on his shoulder and saw a black suited man sit next to him.

"Crowley. What new plan to change the town do you have now?"

Crowley smirked and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was just about to ask you about that. I don't know why you won't help me. You and I both know that this town could use some discipline, and they won't listen to me."

The other man sighed and shut his book, setting it on his lap. "Yes, and you and I both know that I think the town's fine as it is. I'm not helping you." He got up and started walking towards the bookshop, pausing for a moment to look over his shoulder. "Feel free to try to change it on your own." He slipped inside before Crowley could retaliate.


	3. The Bookshop

As Castiel entered the bookstore, the curly haired owner glanced up from the desk.

  
"Castiel! I was wondering when you were going to stop by..." He forced a smile.

  
Castiel set the book he had been reading on the desk and began searching for another. "You too, Metatron. Do you have anything new in today?"

  
Metatron shook his head. "No, not since last time you asked."

  
"That's fine. I'll just borrow... This one!" Castiel climbed a nearby ladder and picked a small book from the top shelf.

  
Metatron tilted his head. "That one? You've read it twice! Are you sure?" He reached up to take the book so Castiel could climb down.

  
The blue-eyed man nodded. "It's my favorite. You know, lost royalty, magic hair, thieves, it's an adventure from cover to cover. You can't blame me for liking it, this town is boring." He sighed and took the book back from Metatron. "I'll have it back to you in a couple of days, I promise. It won't take long to finish."

  
Metatron shrugged. "No need, just keep it. You're the only one who reads it, anyways. I don't care."

  
Cas put the book into a pocket in his jacket. "Are you sure? I can pay for it..."

  
"No, it's fine. Just go before you scare off any customers," the older man joked as he pushed Castiel out of the shop.

  
Cas quickly left the store. "I owe you!" He spotted Crowley out of the corner of his eye. Oh great, he was coming closer. Castiel hightailed it home before the other could talk to him.


	4. Home

"Father? Are you home?" Castiel stopped in the door of the tiny cottage and slipped off the long tan jacket he normally wore, looking around for his father. Suddenly, the house shook from an explosion. Loud swearing was heard in the basement, and smoke was billowing up from the outside doors.

  
Castiel rushed around to the other side of the house. Coughing, he slowly descended the steps, straining to see his father. "What happened?"

  
An older version of Castiel was in the basement, kicking at a machine. He had salt-and-pepper hair and duller blue eyes, but otherwise Castiel was like his clone. Jimmy sighed and sat near the fireplace. "I'll never get this damn thing to work. It's always messing up!"

  
Cas quietly sat next to him. "You'll get it, I promise. It just might take a while."

  
Jimmy sighed. "I'll try it again, but only once. If it doesn't work, I'm trashing it. Mind helping me out?" Without waiting for an answer, he slid underneath the machine.

  
Castiel crossed the room and stood by the toolbox, handing his father the various tools he needed.

  
"So, how was your time in town today?" Jimmy asked.

  
"Not bad. I got a new book. But Crowley keeps bugging me about changing the town. I'm not about to help that ass-butt."

  
"Language!"

  
"Sorry."

  
Jimmy scooted out from under the machine. "You should at least try to be his friend. You said the other day that he's the only one who talks to you." Distracted, he turned to a lever on the machine. "All right, let's see if this works..." He tentatively pulled the lever and the machine started up. Both men held their breath as it raised an axe... and began chopping wood. Jimmy gasped in delight. "It works! Cas, go hook Charlie up to the carriage. I'm heading out to the fair!"

  
Castiel nodded and rushed out to the stables, stopping by the red furred mare he's known since he was young. He pulled Charlie and the carriage around back and helped his father hook everything up. "Hold on, let me get you some stuff for the road." He rushed inside, returning with a satchel of food and supplies.

  
Jimmy took it from him gratefully. "I almost forgot about that. I'm glad you're my son."

  
Cas nodded. "You're welcome. But, will you do me a favor? Please be careful. Don't take shortcuts, don't stop for strangers, and don't stray too far from the path."

  
The other man quickly climbed onto the horse's back. "I'll be fine, Castiel. Don't worry about me." He took the reigns and started off down the path, turning to wave at his son before disappearing into the woods.

  
Cas sighed. "Please come home safely. I don't know what kind of trouble you could get into."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm, yeah, I decided to make Jimmy Castiel's father. You don't know how many times that changed when I was writing it in my notebook, wow. Let's see... First it was Metatron, then Crowley, then Joshua, then Rufus, then I decided on Jimmy. I'm sticking with this one.


	5. Beached Friends

Castiel turned to go back inside when he heard someone call his name.

  
"Yo! Cassie! Don't leave me here! It took me five fucking minutes to get up on this rock, and I'm not about to leave it!"

  
Cas sighed and began picking his way down to the nearby beach. Sure enough, a golden tailed merman was lying on his stomach on a large rock on the shore.

  
"Gabriel. I figured you'd be here." Cas said as he sat next to him on dry land.

  
Gabe flicked his tail. "Why would I not be here? Anyways, I can't stay long, you know my dad hates it when I come to the surface. Got anymore of that sweet human stuff?" He pulled at Castiel's pockets, searching for candy.

  
The blue-eyed man quickly pulled out a lollipop and handed it to Gabe before he could rip anything. "You're lucky I can get this for you."

  
Gabriel eagerly pulled off the wrapper and stuck the candy in his mouth. Speaking around it, he asked, "Can you tell me more about human life? I want to know about... Hmm..." He stopped to think for a moment.

  
Cas filled in for him. "How about scary legends that my dad used to tell me?"

  
"Oh, yes, perfect! Luci likes that stuff, he'd be delighted to hear a new one!"

  
"You tell your brothers my stories?" Castiel asked, tilting his head.

  
The blonde shrugged. "Yeah, but they think I was the one to make them up. Michael doesn't normally listen, but Samandriel and Balthazar like listening too. Uriel and Raphael aren't around most of the time, so they don't hear them as much as the others. Sometimes they do, though..."

  
"Wow. You have a lot of brothers. Hmm, what story should I start with?"

  
The two sat like that for hours, shivering at scary stories and munching on sweets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most angels are merpeople in this universe, if you haven't figured it out already. There is a long story about Cas, Metatron, and someone else (he'll be introduced in a later chapter) being human. Gabriel IS the youngest and he will be featured in the next story in this series, his little love story is one that I can't wait to write. Do I really have to finish this one first?


	6. Jimmy's Mishap

Jimmy turned his map around, trying to make sense of it and figure out where he was. This part of the forest was unfamiliar to him. It was dark and dreary, unlike the full of life woods he was in just an hour before.

  
"I think we're lost, Charlie. Come on, let's turn around," he said as he pulled at the reigns.

  
Charlie nickered and resisted for a second, then gave in. She allowed Jimmy to turn pull her around... only to come face-to-face with wolves. She reared up, throwing Jimmy off of her back, and took off, the carriage still attached.

  
Jimmy grunted as he hit the ground. "Oh no. Charlie, wait, come back!" He scrambled to his feet, backing away as the growling wolves advanced. Suddenly, one of them leaped forward.

  
The old man began running in random directions as the wolves chased him. He stumbled over rocks and branches, scraping his hands and knees. To make matters worse, the sky had unleashed all of it's pent up rain onto him. He probably shouldn't have left so late in the day.

  
Things seemed to be looking up for him as he fell face first into a clearing. There was a gate enclosing a path, and there was a large castle looming over him. Jimmy quickly got to his feet and threw open the gates, narrowly avoiding the wolves snapping at his feet. He slipped through the gate and dropped his satchel so he could properly lock it up.

  
"That was close," he muttered to himself. Abandoning his bag, he began trudging through the mud to the large, menacing doors.


	7. Oh, Look, Talking Clocks!

"Hello? I-is anyone home?"

  
Jimmy tentatively entered the great hall of the castle, looking around for any signs of life. He strained his ears as he heard faint voices.

  
"Oh! I think someone's here!" The voice of a young man rang out in the halls.

  
"Shaddup, ya idjit, he'll find us!" An older man was arguing with him.

  
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

  
"No, he's an old man! He's just going to leave soon anyways."

  
"You're an old man."

  
"Shut it, Sammy."

  
A female voice joined the two male ones. "We should at least make him comfortable so he can leave quicker. Look at him. He needs rest."

  
"Ellen, I don't think that's a good idea."

  
"Bobby Singer, if I had hands, I would slap you right now."

  
"Haha. You better listen to her."

  
"I'd slap you too, Sam."

  
"What? I didn't do anything!"

  
"Shush, I think Old Guy's coming closer!"

  
Jimmy had crept toward the voices, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Of course, with his luck, he had stepped on every creaking floorboard the castle had to offer. He cleared his throat.

  
"Umm, is anyone there?"

  
He accidently bumped into a table with a candlestick and a clock on it, effectively knocking it over. He could have sworn that when the clock hit the ground... it had grunted?

  
Jimmy picked it up to examine it. "This is some really advanced technology..."

  
The clock slapped him. "Git yer hands off me, you damn, dirty human! Ow!"

  
The old man had dropped the clock on the floor. "Talking clocks... I must be crazy."

  
The candlestick stood up and hopped over to him. "No, you're not crazy. I'm Sam, That's Bobby. It's a very long story."

  
A tea cart bumped into Jimmy from behind. He turned to see a teapot and several teacups were staring up at him. The teapot smiled. "I'm Ellen. Follow me to the fire, you look frozen enough to be from Arendalle. Come warm up a bit."

  
Jimmy nodded and followed her to a large chair, who promptly wrapped a blanket around him.

  
Bobby quickly got up and began protesting. "That's Dean's chair! Oh, he's going to get so pissed... I didn't see anything." He turned his back on the others.

  
Sam looked at him with begging moose eyes. "Come on, Bobby, it'll be fine!" he said as he hopped closer to Jimmy.

  
Bobby shook his head. "You know how Dean is with uninvited guests. Remember when that one girl showed up to his party?"

  
"Dean? Who's Dean?" Jimmy's questions were forgotten as one of the teacups nudged his hand.

  
"I'm Ash! Best of this group! Better than them!" The dark haired man laughed as Ash blew bubbles in the tea and Ellen scolded him.

  
His laughter was cut off by the loud slamming of a door. A powerful wind blew through the castle, extinguishing all flames.

  
"Oh, speak of the devil!" Bobby growled to Sam.

  
Suddenly, Jimmy's chair was spun around. He flinched at the hot breath and long fangs in his face.

  
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the beast asked in a low, menacing voice.

  
Jimmy gulped. "I-I'm Jimmy, I was looking for a place to stay, I was just going to be on my way as soon as I found my horse. I'm sorry I bothered you!"

  
A large fist grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him up. "You want a place to stay? I'll give you a place to stay!" The monster dragged the human up to the top of the tower, throwing him into one of the cells and locking him there. "You are now my prisoner. That's what you get for trespassing here."

  
Jimmy curled up in a corner as the beast lumbered off.  "I'm sorry, Castiel... I broke my promise."


	8. Charlie's Back!

Castiel looked up at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. You should probably get home."

  
Gabriel nodded and scooped some extra candy into a small bag. "Yeah. I hope no one noticed that I was gone. What?" He protested at Cas's questioning stare. "Balthazar likes these too. He never asks where I get 'em, but it's my way of paying him so he doesn't tell Dad where I've been, 'cause he totally knows about my little adventures. See ya!" He backflipped into the water, splashing the human with flicks of his long, golden tail.

  
Castiel groaned and wiped water off of his face. "Why do you do this every time?" He turned around as he heard crashing and scared neighing, confused when he saw Charlie bolting out of the woods. He ran up to her.

  
"Whoa, girl, calm down! Where's... Father!" He rushed around to unhook her from the carriage, having trouble because the mare kept bucking and trying to run. He finally got her to calm down with a few sugar cubes.

  
As soon as she was settled, Cas ran inside, grabbed his jacket, and came back to climb on Charlie's back. "Take me to him, please!" he ordered. Charlie seemed to nod, and she took off in the direction she came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I swear this seemed longer in my notebook. Oh well. It's only a filler, really.


	9. Into The Forest

The horse weaved through the forest, trying to avoid the branches sticking out over the path. She was scared, and she obviously wanted to turn back.

  
Castiel leaned forward and hugged her neck. "We'll find him, I promise."

  
Charlie slowed as she approached the clearing where she and Jimmy were attacked by the wolves. She nickered warily.

  
Castiel noticed her hesitation and slid off her back. "Come on, we have to find him." The horse nuzzled his neck and slowly followed him.

  
The blue-eyed man sighed and located the trail his father had left in the mud. It was hard to see, but the footprints were there. He quickly came upon the castle and realized that this is where Jimmy most likely was. Sure enough, a familiar satchel was lying on the ground just inside the gate. Castiel gasped and rushed inside, picking it up to examine it.

  
"Oh Father... What have you done?!?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GFDI, another reaaaally short one. OOPS. I swear these seem a hell of a lot longer in my notebook, and when I put them on Quotev. I'm sorry for all the short ones, but they should get longer soon.


	10. Crowley's Realization

Crowley sighed as he paced around the bar. He seemed deep in thought, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

  
Alastair, his personal assisstant, slid him a beer. "You need to relax. Cassie will come around soon, give him some time," he said, sipping his own drink.

  
Crowley shook his head. "No, I doubt he will. He's against everything I have planned."

  
Alastair shrugged and motioned for more beer, the bartender quickly fulfilling his request. "Maybe if you got to know him better, he'd help you. The bookkeeper seems to know him pretty well."

  
Crowley nodded, not paying attention. "Hmm, yeah, whatever... Hey, I have an idea! What if I got to know him better? I could talk to Metatron!" He stood up and began walking to the door. Alistair groaned and followed. "You took my idea!"  
The bartender reached out. "Hey, you didn't pay for those drinks! Get back here!"

  
Crowley ignored both of them and strode across the street to the bookstore. He slammed the door open, effectively scaring the owner's assistant manning the front desk.

  
"Gadreel! Is Metatron here right now?" Crowley asked, slamming his hands onto the table. He looked up as the bookkeeper backed his way into the room through a swinging door, his hands full of books. Gadreel hopped up to help him.

 

"Crowley! What brings you here?" he asked, setting the books down on a table.

  
"I need to know anything you know about one of your most frequent customers," the short man replied.

  
Gadreel looked up, confused. "You mean Castiel? He hasn't been in here today just yet, if you wait around, you might be able to catch him."

  
Crowley shook his head. "Or you could just tell me about him now."

  
Alastair leaned forward. "Ya better watch your wording, you sound like a fangirl in love with him," he said, snickering.

  
Metatron overheard this and shrugged. "You'd be in luck, Cas doesn't seem to be interested in the ladies. What do you need to know?" He lead the three to a small circle of chairs and sat down, ready to answer and questions Crowley had about the angelic Castiel.


	11. Castiel Meets The Beast

Castiel slowed as he approached the doors to the castle. His father was in there, he knew it! He struggled to push open the heavy doors.

  
"Father? Are you in here?" he called out as he entered the castle. He glimpsed a faint light in the distance, illuminating a set of stairs leading to a tower. Castiel quickly followed the retreating light and pulled his coat tighter around him.

  
"H-hey, wait up!" He struggled to keep up with the person. Finally, he reached the top, only to find he was alone.

  
"Is anyone there?" he asked in confusion.

  
"Castiel! What are you doing here?!?" Jimmy crawled to the door of his cell, reaching out for his son.

  
Cas ran to him and collapsed to his knees. "I could ask you the same thing! What happened?"

  
Jimmy bit his bottom lip, then decided to answer. "T-there was a beast! A tall, horrible one! He got mad at me when I wanted to stay here! OH GOD HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"  
The old man screeched and threw himself backwards as Castiel felt hot breath on the back of his neck.

  
"Another trespasser?"

  
The blue-eyed man slowly turned around and pressed his back against the wall of the tower. "N-no, I was just trying to find my father, if you'd just let him go..."

  
The mysterious beast laughed. "Let him go? Ha! He trespassed, and this is his punishment!"

  
Castiel scowled. "You didn't let me finish. Let him go, I'll take his place. He's old and weak. He wouldn't last long."

  
The beast stopped. "You would do that? Take his place and stay here forever?"

  
Jimmy tugged on Cas's coat. "No, please, don't do this!"

  
The other man quickly shushed him. "I'll be fine, Father. Please, whoever you are, have a heart!"

  
"It's Dean."

  
"What?"

  
The beast pushed Castiel away from the door of the cell and began unlocking it. "My name's Dean. Just so you know." Careful of the light, he pulled Jimmy out of the cell and began dragging him downstairs. He quickly turned back to Cas. "Uhh, stay here. I'll be right back."

  
Castiel nodded and slunk into the cell as Dean dragged his father away. It was going to be a long forever.


	12. Take Him Away!

As Dean dragged the poor man down the steps, Sam hopped alongside him. "Are you going to leave the other one up there? He needs his own room." he said.

  
Dean shrugged and threw Jimmy into a palaquin. "Take him to the village. I don't know." The brothers watched as the spidery machine got up and lumbered away with the human inside.

  
Sam looked up at Dean. "You know... He could be here to break the curse..."

  
Dean scoffed. "Him? No way. I'm not buying it. Besides, she said I had to get a girl to love me, and he's obviously a guy."

  
"Um, I'm pretty sure Abaddon didn't specify a gender. And even if he won't break the curse, he can help you prepare for when the person who will comes. Your people skills suck." Sam huffed as he struggled to keep up with his (much taller) brother. Wow, what a change.

  
Dean quickly picked him up. "Whatever. I guess he can get his own room."

  
Sam smiled. "Just watch him be the one to break the curse. You already like him and you know it."

  
"You're a bitch, Sammy."

  
"Jerk."

 


	13. Chapter 13

Castiel sighed as he watched the palaquin take his father away. He knew he would never get to see him again, and wished that Dean had let him at least say goodbye. He felt a few tears streak down his face. "Goodbye, Father... If you see Gabriel again, tell him I said goodbye, too..." he whispered to himself.

 

"Are you... Crying?

 

Cas whipped around to see the shadowy form of Dean leaning in the doorway, and hastily wiped the tears away. "No... Come to lock me in here?"

 

Dean shook his head. "I've come to show you to your room. Unless you _want_ to stay here." He turned away to leave.

 

The black haired man quickly got up to follow him. "Wait! I'm coming with you. But... Could you step into the light? I'd like to see what my captor looks like."

 

Dean's back stiffened. "Um... Fine. Just don't get scared. I don't want to deal with that."

 

Castiel gasped as Dean edged his way into the light of the setting sun streaming in through the window. He had the head and horns of a buffalo, the body and arms of a bear, and the shaggy hindquarters and swishing tail of a wolf. His body was covered in dark blond fur, and emerald eyes glanced against the shadows of his face. Seeing Castiel's reaction, he retreated back into the gloom near the walls. "Sorry. Come on, let's get you settled."

 

Cas nodded and followed him, resisting the temptation to reach out and stroke the golden brown fur. _I wonder how soft it is..._ he thought. He quickly shook the thought out of his head as he noticed Sam hopping along beside them.

 

The candlestick nudged his brother and tilted his head back to the human, indicating Dean of something. Cas tipped his head, confused, until the beast glanced over his shoulder. "I uh... I hope you like it here," he mumbled. He cleared his throat and continued. "You can go anywhere you'd like. E-except the West Wing. That's forbidden."

 

"Why? What's in the West Wing?" the human asked.

 

Dean sighed and looked melancholy for a moment, then regained his serious composure. "Nothing you need to worry about. Here's your room." He motioned for his prisoner to take a look.

 

Sam tapped Dean on the leg, prompting the beast to lift him to eye level. "Invite him to dinner!" he whispered. The beastly prince cleared his throat again. "You will be joining me for dinner tonight."

 

Castiel, already in his new room, turned around to glare at him. "No I won't. I'd like to be alone for a while."

 

Dean growled at him. "Yes, you will! That's an order!"

 

The blue eyed man went to the door. "I'm not taking orders from the likes of you!" he shouted as he slammed it in the prince's face.

 

Sam winced. "You could have been a bit nicer about it."

 

"Ha! He doesn't deserve it," Dean scoffed. The candlestick hit him upside the head. "You just took him away from his family. Leave him be."

 

Dean set his brother down on a table and began walking to the West Wing. "Whatever. Tell the stove to start getting dinner ready." He stalked off without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE THIRD FUCKING TIME I'VE TRIED TO UPDATE THIS. I keep hitting the wrong buttons and it brings me back to the previous page. Third time's the charm.
> 
> Also, sorry about taking so long to update. I'm going to try to finish the story by Halloween, if not by then, then by Christmas. We'll see how it goes.


	14. Talking Wardrobes!

Castiel sat on his bed, choking back more tears. He lay on his side and curled up. "I can't believe he's trapped me here..." he muttered to himself.

 

Suddenly, the wardrobe came to life. "Ah, don't worry, you'll warm up to him. Dean's just a dick till you get to know him."

 

Castiel sat up and looked at her. "Who are you?" he asked in awe.

 

The wardrobe smiled. "I'm Jo Harvelle. Have you met the teapot yet? That's my mom. If you ask her or Sam anything, they'll just start blubbering about stuff. Anyway, I heard Dean saying something about dinner. What should I put you in?" She opened her doors, but slammed them shut as moths flew out. "Whoops! That's embarrassing. What about this?" She pulled out a blue suit. "It'll bring out your eyes nicely!"

 

Castiel huffed and turned away. "I'm not _going_ to dinner."

 

Jo pouted. "Dean's going to be angry. You won't like him when he's angry."

 

Cas rolled his eyes. "I don't care if he's angry. I don't care about him at all!"

 

The door shook as the aforementioned prince knocked loudly. "Hey, Cas, dinnertime!"

 

The black haired man refused to move. "One, don't call me that. Two, I'm not hungry."

 

On the other side of the door, Dean was slowly getting angry. He glared down at Bobby and Sam. "What now?" he whispered through clenched teeth.

 

Sam sighed. "Try asking a little bit nicer this time."

 

Dean turned back to the door. "Could you come to dinner. Please," he said as nicely as he could. It still came out with a slight growl, but it was better.

 

"No!"

 

It was then that Dean lost his temper. "Fine then! Starve! If he doesn't eat with me, he doesn't eat at all!" He roared and took off on all fours to his room.

 

Bobby groaned, exasperated. "Great. Now we've lost any chance that the curse will be broken. Damn idjit."

 

Sam shrugged and began hopping down the hallway. "Not necessarily. There's still time." He followed Dean down to his room in hopes that he could calm his brother down and make him see reason. 

 

 


	15. Jimmy Finally Meets Crowley

Back at the village, the palaquin had dropped Jimmy off and started heading back to the castle. He held back forlorn sigh as he watched it leave. He felt someone's presence behind him.

 

"Excuse me, are you Castiel's father?"

 

Jimmy turned around to see a short man with black hair and a black suit. He looked a little older than his son, and much more dignified. The man came closer and stuck his hand out. "I'm Crowley. I believe I know your son?"

 

Jimmy nodded and shook Crowley's hand. "Y-yeah, Cas has told me about you."

 

Crowley smirked. "Is he here now? I'd like to talk to him."

 

The older man quickly drew back from the unsettling Crowley. "No, uhh, he's... out. He won't be back for a while." _Or ever..._ He felt wary about telling Crowley his son's whereabouts. He had a gut feeling that the young man was planning something, and he didn't want Castiel involved.

 

"Ahh. Well, tell me when he gets back, I have something to ask him."

 

Jimmy nodded grimly. "Of course. I'll see you again when he does." He quickly went back to his house before Crowley could ask anymore questions.

 

 

 


	16. How'd You Get Like This?

As the large door to his room creaked open, Castiel peeked put to make sure no one was guarding it. He sighed in relief when he saw nothing and slipped out to the kitchen. He had heard what Dean had said, but there was no way he was going to starve. Suddenly, his path was blocked by none other than Sam and Bobby.

 

"Where do you think you're going?" the small grandfather clock asked, looking up at Castiel.

 

"I was just about to go get something to eat. I'm a little hungry," he admitted.

 

Sam nodded and began hopping towards the kitchen. "All right. We'll get you something. Follow me, I don't want you lost in this huge castle. I hope Dean hasn't eaten everything."

 

Bobby began to pull on Castiel's pant leg. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. He ain't gettin' anything but a glass of water and some bread crust. That's it. You heard what Dean said!"

 

Sam rolled his eyes and kept going. "We're not letting him go hungry. I don't think Dean was being serious."

 

The human looked down at the two household objects. "So, what happened? How did you guys get this way?"

 

"It's a little hard to explain, but I'll give it a try. You ever heard of Abaddon?" Sam asked him.

 

Cas nodded. "Yeah, it's a story I tell my friend all the time. But that's just it- it's a story. Why are you asking?"

 

"You'll understand in a bit. Let's get you some dinner and I'll tell you."

 

The candlestick led him to the kitchen and began shouting orders. Soon, Castiel had a plate full of food in front of him and a story to hear about the mysterious Prince Dean.

 


	17. Tour Of The Castle

 

"A curse? That's why you're like this?" Castiel had finished eating and was now listening intently to the candlestick's story.

 

Sam nodded. "Yeah, and we were hoping you knew someone who could break it." _Or break it yourself..._ he thought.

 

Cas shook his head. "No, I've never really talked to anyone in the village. Yeah, the people give me free stuff for some reason, but I don't really know anyone who could help break the curse. It's not like the girls in my town have ever tried getting me into a relationship with them."

 

Sam tilted his head. "Why not? None of them ever asked you out?"

 

Castiel sighed. "Not really. All they want is someone who will have sex with them. Naturally, I'm not the best choice for a relationship because of my asexuality. So they never talk to me, and I don't know what any of them are like."

 

"Huh. I guess that rules out anyone from there to break the curse..." Sam muttered.

 

"So you'll be stuck like this forever?"

 

Sam nodded, forlorn. "Yeah, I guess we will be. It's fine, not a big deal. Hey, you need a tour of the castle. How about Bobby and I show you around, and then you can get some sleep for tomorrow? We were hoping you could at least help clean up around here, we have a hard time reaching higher places."

 

Cas smiled. "Sure. I'd like that."

 

Sam quickly hopped down to the floor and started leading Cas to the main room. "Hey, Bobby, you want to help? I don't know as much about this castle as you do."

 

The clock rushed to catch up to them. "My pleasure. To your right, there's the path to the library-"

 

"Ooh, a library?" Castiel cut him off with a gasp of joy. "I'll have to remember to visit that soon!"

 

Bobby sighed dramatically. "As I was saying before you _rudely_ interrupted me, to your left is the West Wing. Never go there, it's forbidden even for us. Hey!"

 

Castiel had already climbed halfway up the slightly burnt stairs. "Why? I want to see it!"

 

Bobby and Sam rushed to stop him. "No! Don't go up there, you'll piss Dean off and you might get hurt! Better safe than sorry!" Sam scolded as he held out his hands in defeat. "Now, let's go down to the gallery. The paintings there are beautiful."

 

Cas nodded and waited for them to descend the stairway before slowly following. "I'm gonna... explore on my own a bit. Is that okay?" he asked.

 

Sam turned around and, glancing at Bobby, thought for a moment. "All right. Just go everywhere but the West Wing, okay? It's a bad idea."

 

Cas nodded and started walking to the library. "Okay!" He waited until Sam and Bobby had turned a corner before heading towards the forbidden corridor that everyone has been warning him about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, most of this was off the top of my head. Up until Sam asks about anyone Cas would know is the stuff in my notebook, then I just started typing. This is how it will continue from now on, probably.


	18. Exploring The West Wing

Castiel looked around in awe as he climbed the burnt staircase. The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper, the edges singed and blackened. The paintings of what seemed to be the royal family had claw marks and scorched holes in their canvases, and there were piles of ash and wood where some of them had fallen. Under his feet, withered floorboards crunched from his weight.

 

Holding his breath, he pushed open the heavy, black doors at the end of the hall. Noticing that it was devoid of life, he slowly walked into the trashed room. He saw an overturned, meted cradle in the corner of the room, and charred trinkets littered the floor. He pushed aside a table as he continued further into the room.

 

As he walked steadily forward, he noticed that the fire damage seemed to get worse. Everything was faded, burnt, and black from flames. The one part of the room untouched by long-gone heat was the balcony, where a table stood. On the table was a vase with a single, wilting rose.

 

Castiel crept toward the flower, aware that Dean could come back at any moment. He paused and stooped to look at it.

 

"Huh... It looks like it needs water..." he said to himself. He reached out to gently touch the petals,  but was forcefully pulled back by a large, menacing paw on his shoulder.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?!?" Dean roared in Castiel's face. "You're not supposed to be here!"

 

Castiel flinched and whimpered a bit. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to explore!"

 

Dean growled threateningly. "This is forbidden! GET OUT!!!"

 

Castiel nodded fearfully and took off running. Stopping to grab his coat from his room, he ran towards the front doors.

 

Bobby was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, Sam nowhere to be seen. "There you are! We wondered where you went! Where are you going?"

 

Castiel brushed past him. "I can't take It anymore! I'm leaving! Goodbye, Bobby, it was nice knowing you."

 

"B-b-but you can't leave! You made a promise!" Bobby sputtered as he watched Castiel pry open the doors.

 

Castiel shoved his way outside. "I don't care! I have to get out of here!" He took off running to the stables, pulled Charliee out into the cold winter air, and left the castle behind as he entered the dark woods.


	19. Attack Of The Wolves

Castiel knew he was making the right choice by escaping, but he still felt bad for leaving Dean alone. The man probably hasn't had human contact in quite some time, and he didn't know how to act. Cas considered turning back, but his fear won out and he kept going.

 

Thirty minutes later, he was hopelessly lost. The path seemed to disappear, and he could have sworn he saw that tree five minutes ago. He was about to retrace his steps when he heard growling behind him.

 

Charlie, hearing the growls, immediately took off running. Castiel risked a glance behind him to see the large wolf pack pursuing him. The leader snapped at Charlie's hind legs, causing her to run faster. She bucked and threw Cas off of her back.

 

As soon as he let go of the reigns, they wrapped around a tree branch and pulled tight. Castiel, knowing his horse was trapped, grabbed a stick and struggled to keep the wolves away from them both. Suddenly, a mighty roar echoed through the trees.

 

Castiel barely had time to register that it was Dean before the beast was in the fray. He clawed at the wolves, effectively keeping them away from the vulnerable human. The wolves, having the higher numbers, were able to overwhelm him for a moment, but Dean quickly threw them off. The wolves ran with yelps and whimpers as Dean turned to Castiel. He managed to give one forlorn look before passing out from exhaustion.

 

Castiel considered leaving him there and escaping, but he didn't want the prince to die. With great effort, he hauled Dean onto Charlie's back and began leading her back to the castle.


	20. Where's Cas?

Gabriel smiled as he spotted a black haired man walking toward his home. He immediately began waving his arms and splashing to get his attention. "Castiel! Hey! Need to talk to you!"

 

As the man turned, Gabriel realized that he was not, in fact, Castiel. He was much older and much more confused, evident by the way he warily walked down to the beach.

 

"What the-" he muttered to himself. All he could understand was his son's name. The rest was babble to him. The creature began speaking again.

 

"Casarma bolape elasa?" Gabriel said, tipping his head. He didn't understand. Castiel could understand him, why couldn't this man? Didn't humans understand Enochian?

 

Jimmy tentatively began speaking, realizing that this thing was a merman. "Uh, by the way you're saying stuff, you know Cas, right? Well, if you're looking for him, he's not here. He's been captured by this huge beast thing in a castle in the woods. I-if you could swim down there and see if he's okay, that's be great."

 

Gabe nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. Not bothering to even say goodbye (the human wouldn't know what he said anyway), he flipped off into the sea towards the gloomiest part.

 

Little did they know, a certain demonic man was eavesdropping on their halfway conversation. "A beast, huh? I guess I know how to get Castiel Novak to help me." Crowley rubbed his hands together and trotted off to the town square to meet Alistair and tell him of his newfound plan.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a filler chapter, I need Crowley to learn about Dean somehow. I swear it will get better. Also, yes, I found an Enochian translator online JUST for the merpeople. I figured since that's the language of the angels, I'd use it for Gabe. I almost can't wait for the third one to explain why Cas can understand him, and no one else can.


	21. Healing Wounds

Castiel groaned as he hauled Dean into the main room of the castle. He nodded in thanks at the coat racks who came over to help him. He turned to Ellen. "Could you please bring me some hot water and towels? I need to clean up his wounds." 

  


Ellen gave a sharp nod before turning and shouting orders at various brooms. She sped off in her tea cart as Castiel sat on a stool next to Dean.  


  


"Come on... Wake up... I don't need you dead..." he muttered, gently shaking the prince's shoulder. He brushed some fur away from a bad cut on his chest. As Ellen came back with the supplies, Sam came a little closer.  


  


"I, uh... I thought you left us for good," he said quietly. He heated the water up a little more with his flames and sighed. "I was worried you'd never come back."  


  


Castiel grabbed a towel and began wiping away blood. "Yeah... I thought so too. But then the wolves attacked and Dean saved me, and... I figured I owe him this much." He yanked his hand away as Dean suddenly sat up with a hiss.  


  


"Ouch! Son of a bitch, that hurts!" he snarled. He turned away from Cas and began licking his wounds. "Why are you here?" he asked between swipes.  


  


The blue eyed man quickly pulled Dean's arm back. "I'm helping you. Don't lick those, you'll make them get infected. This is going to hurt." He gently put the towel back on the scratches, and glared up at the beast as he pulled away. "I warned you about t, don't say I didn't."  


  


Dean et out a low growl before relaxing. "That... actually feels good. Thank you," he whispered. He leaned closer to the warmth, but caught himself and straightened up.  


  


Cas looked up at him and slightly smiled. "Oh, yeah, you're welcome. I just... couldn't stand to see anyone hurt." He ducked his head and began wrapping a cloth around the wound to stem the bleeding. He raised his head again. "So, uhh... What happened to the West Wing? I was wondering why it's all burnt. I asked Sam, but he wouldn't say anything about it. I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to..."  


  


Dean thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, he doesn't like talking about it. I guess I can tell you. It's a long story, though..."  


  


Castiel shrugged. "I've got time."  


  


The prince looked at him and sighed. "It was a little after Sam was born..."  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll leave a cliffhanger here until tomorrow. Now you know the pain of waiting for the next installment for a while.


	22. West Wing Fire

Dean looked off to the wing as he began his story. "See, that used to be the nursery. Sam lived there for about six months after he was born, until... Well, we had a servant here named Azazel. He had these really ugly yellow eyes, that's how everyone knew him. He despised my mom and dad. So, one day, while Dad and I were out and Mom was home taking care of Sammy, he, uh... He killed her and started a fire there. Some of the others were able to get Sam out, but we never found her body. Yellow-eyes escaped soon after. Dad was furious, and he ordered a search party to find him. He was convinced this guy was some sort of demon.

 

"As soon as Sam was old enough, we'd scour the kingdom, looking for him. Around my fifteenth birthday, he had found us. He captured me and threatened to kill me unless Dad let him go free. Dad refused. Of course, that could have meant my death, but Dad was clever. He... He offered his life in exchange for mine. Azazel let me go, so I grabbed Sam and took off running. We never saw Dad again.

 

"Then, after that, I decided to move in to the West Wing so I could feel closer to them. It may or may not have gotten worse after we were put under this curse. I got mad at myself and destroyed a lot of stuff, and caused a lot of regret. I honestly thought that we would never be saved. Then you appeared. I figured you could help us find someone to break it." Dean knew he was lying to himself, he was already kind of liking the little human. He looked over at Cas, who was cleaning up the blood on another cut.

 

Castiel sighed. "Well, like I told Sam, I'm not going to be much luck. I don't know anyone! It's a while before your birthday anyway, so I guess we could find someone. I'll try to help."

 

Dean refrained from telling Cas that he kinda wanted _him_ to break the curse. He knew it was never gong to happen, but just as he was about to ask about it, Castiel stood up. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. I'm very tired. Good night, Dean." He quickly gave the furry prince a hug around the shoulders, and dashed up the stairs back to his room.


	23. The Library

Dean sighed as he watched the short human leave. He looked back at Sam. "I think he's the one who's going to break the curse," he said wistfully.

 

Sam gasped. " _WHAT?_ You're actually going _along_ with this?!?" He gaped at his older brother, who scowled.

 

"Really? You're _that_ surprised? Wow. Anyways, how am I going to get him to fall in love with me? He doesn't look interested in me right now, and that needs to change."

 

Bobby stepped forward. "Well, there's flowers, chocolate, promises you don't intend to keep..." He glared at Sam, who pulled him back.

 

"He seemed to be interested in the library. You could clean it up and show it to him," he suggested. He jumped back as Dean rose from his seat.

 

The beast began lumbering up the stairs. "Perfect. I'll go talk to him right now." With a small smile on his face, he quickly walked to Castiel's door, knocking softly. "Hey... Are you in here?"

 

Castiel opened his door, confused. "Yeah, what's up? Shouldn't you be resting?"

 

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, uhh... I wanted to show you something. Could you come with me?" he asked quietly.

 

Cas nodded. "Alright. I suppose." He stepped out of his room and began following Dean to the other side of the castle.

 

The prince stopped in front of large double doors, turning to face Cas. "Close your eyes. I'll lead you in. Do you trust me?"

 

Castiel nodded. "Of course." He closed his eyes and waited, wondering what Dean was up to. He heard the doors wing open and felt Dean lead him in. Trying not to squint as bright sunlight hit his face, he listened as Dean pulled down multiple... things and walked back to him. "Is that it?" he asked.

 

Dean pulled Castiel a little closer to the middle of the room. "Almost. Now... Open your eyes." He joyfully watched as the black haired man pried open his eyes and gasped.

 

"Wow... It's beautiful!" He began walking down the steps to the bottom floor. "How did you hide such a big library from me?"

 

Dean laughed. "I dunno, I guess it's because you didn't look." He joined Cas downstairs. "And it's all yours. You can use it whenever you want to."

 

Castiel turned back to the prince. "Thank you. I appreciate it." He looked around again. "It's going to take _forever_ to read all of these." He decided to explore the library, Dean watching him. The beast was glad that he had found a away to make the human happy, and even if Cas _didn't_ break the curse, that's all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I had writer's block for the LONGEST time, and I finally got inspiration for this chapter late last night. I was going to watch the movie again, but I guess I don't need to anymore. Enjoy!


	24. First Snowfall of the Year

Castiel lifted his face to the sky as he breathed in the crisp, fresh air. It was the first snowfall of the year, and he was carefully walking down to a cliff overlooking the sea to enjoy the view. He pulled his coat and scarf tighter around him and shivered.

 

Unbeknownst to him, a certain prince was watching him with worried eyes. Dean didn't trust the human out by himself, considering the trouble he'd gotten himself into before. When Cas had said that he was going out to the cliffs, Dean nearly offered to go with him in case he slipped, but decided not to. He grabbed his jacket regardless and trekked out in the snow to follow the short man to the view.

 

As he trudged forward, Dean watched as Castiel quietly sat down on the cliff, his legs dangling off of the edge. The prince quickly took the spot next to him and sighed. "Beautiful view, right?" he asked.

 

The black-haired man jumped a bit, startled. "Oh, yeah, it is. I like coming out to places like this to look over the ocean. I've always felt a connection to it. I feel like the sea is my home," he whispered.

 

Dean nodded in agreement. "This was one of my favorite spots as a kid. Whenever I got mad, I came out here to pout. Sometimes, I could have sworn I saw something playing in the water down there." He shrugged and turned toward the human. "You know, that scarf really brings out your eyes," he said, taking the end of the cobalt fabric in his large paw.

 

Castiel blushed. "That's exactly why Jo chose it. Her words: 'You're gonna look great in this!' I didn't believe her." He played with the other end. "Might end up keeping it... I don't know."

 

"You should, it looks great. Oh! Hold on, I want to get something." The beast stood up and walked a few feet away. "Hey, do me a favor? Don't look." He continued on his way for a bit.

 

Castiel tilted his head, confused. _What is going on?_ he thought. Suddenly, a huge snowball hit him in the back of his head. "Ow! What?" He turned around to see Dean standing there, trying his best to look innocent.

 

"Oh? What happened?" the beast asked. He hid his snow-caked paws behind his back. "Did you get hit with snow? I think one of the servants id that." His slightly smug smile melted away as Cas threw a clump of snow at his face.

 

"That's what you get. You want more?" he teased, scooping more snow towards himself. Castiel began patting the snow into a wall, but fell back as Dean bombarded him with even more ammo.

 

"What, you want more?" Dean mocked. He ducked a snowball sailed over his head. "Ha! MISSED! OOF!" A huge one slammed right into his muzzle, blinding him for a moment. He heard Castiel take off running, and quickly began chasing him.

 

Cas stopped by a snow laden tree. "Break! Time-out!" he panted, out of breath. As soon as Dean was close enough, he kicked the tree, sending at least ten pounds of snow down onto the unsuspecting prince. He doubled over with laughter as he saw the wolf tail waving frantically, Dean struggling to get out of the mound of snow. 

 

As soon as he was out, the beast shook the snow out of his fur and pounced on the blue-eyed man. They tumbled down a nearby slope until Dean had landed on his back and was staring up into those beautiful sky colored eyes.

 

"Umm... Maybe we should get back..." Castiel said, blushing. He quickly pushed himself off of the other's chest and stood up. "Sam and Bobby must be wondering where we are." He helped Dean up as well. "You have snow clumped up in your fur. That's going to be hell to get out."

 

Dean laughed nervously. "My dog had that problem. It's fine. Do you, uhh... Want a ride back?" He dropped onto all fours. "I can carry you on my back, it's no big deal. You look like you're about to pass out."

 

It was true, Castiel _was_ bone tired. He nodded sleepily and clambered up onto the prince's back, cuddling into the soft, warm fur as Dean galloped towards the castle. He feel asleep halfway there, hands tangled into the fur, and barely registered when they got home and Dean had to gently pull him away to put him in his own bed. He smiled and cuddled into his pillow. _Maybe it's not so bad here..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long hiatus! I've had writer's block for the longest time, and only got inspiration late last night/early this morning. Like, really late/early. (I couldn't sleep.) I should get on a roll again soon!
> 
> Sorry if Cas is OOC in this chapter, but I honestly get the feeling he'd do this if Dean started it. Canon Cas would turn it into an all out war because he didn't understand. In this, he just turned it into a battle. Omg, I can't wait until winter for snow, where I'm at is supposed to get a really cold winter AND a white Christmas! WHOOP!  
> Also! The tumbling down the hill part! Just imagine Lion King. "Ha! Pinned ya again!" >:3


	25. Gabriel's Return

Gabriel scowled as he eyed the smooth, snow covered beach in front of him. He realized that he was going to have a hard time getting up there, and he silently cursed Castiel's father's _ridiculous_ plan. "I'm never going to find him," he muttered. He swam a little closer and peeked up at the dark towers looming over the tops of the trees. He steeled his nerves, unsure of whether or not to drag himself up there. He was only relying on the random chance that Castiel might come down to the water today, and, giving up, he flipped back into the water to his friend's house. He wasn't about to risk frostbite from the snow because he was stupid enough to get himself stuck there for who knows how long.

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

 

Jimmy paced the beach, worried that the golden merman wouldn't find his missing son. He hoped that Cas would actually be close to the beach, but a nagging voice in the back of his head told him otherwise. He spotted a blond head bobbing above the waves and waded out to him. "Hey! Did you find him?"

 

Gabriel stopped a few feet from Jimmy. He shook his head sadly, not about to lie to the grieving father. He, too, was worried about his black-haired friend, and hated that he couldn't help Jimmy find him. He tipped his head as Jimmy growled and kicked at the water.

 

"Dammit! He really is trapped there. Do you think he can actually leave the castle? Ahh, don't answer, I wouldn't understand you anyway. I guess I'm going to have to go save him myself, there's no other way! Then again, you may just be a fragment of my imagination, my mind remembering Castiel's imaginary friend from when he was little and I told him about those King Carver legends. That's it! All of this is a dream, but just to make sure, I'm gonna go find him. Goodbye, mysterious golden merman who may or may not be real." He stalked off back toward his house to prepare for his journey back to the forest.

 

"...What the hell?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of the weirdest chapters I've ever written. But it was fun. I had to give Jimmy a reason to go back to Castiel, so I figured I bring Gabe back. It'll tie together soon,


	26. The Ball

In the two weeks living in the castle, Castiel had begun to see Dean as a roommate, rather than his captor. He had learned so much about the beast as well. Dean was apparently an Aquarius, he liked long walks on the beach, and he was, at one point, framed for murder. ("I did _not_ kill that woman," Dean explained. "It was someone who only _looked_ like me.") Cas was feeling more comfortable in the castle than he _ever_ felt in town. Teaching Dean how to act more human was actually pretty fun, even though the prince could still be a bit stubborn sometimes. The servants were betting on how long it would take for the spell to be broken, with Sam insisting it would only be a few more days and Bobby saying it would be a week. They were whispering to each other as they watched the two semi-lovebirds feeding the animals.

 

"We really should do something to speed this up. Dean's birthday is this Saturday, and by then, it will be too late!" Sam said, crossing his arms and looking down at Bobby.

 

"I know, I know! I'm not dumb! I jus' don't know what we could do!" Bobby shrugged and looked at Ellen. "Any ideas?"

 

The teapot rolled her eyes at their impotence. "We have a ball, of course! We have to make it as romantic as possible and maybe, just maybe, it will be broken tonight and we'll be human again!" She giggled in glee. "Oh, what would I give to be able to cook like I used to? The stove's pies aren't as good as mine, that's for sure."

 

Sam laughed. "I could get back to that old workout routine! But I'm definitely going out to the ocean for a while. I want to feel the sea breeze."

 

"I'm just ready to be able to relax again. Being a clock is hard," Bobby grumbled. "I can't stretch out my feet anymore, or drink my liquor. Damn, I hope this works." He turned to Ellen. "What's the plan?"

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

 

Dean looked at Sam, confused. "You want me to do _what?!?"_

 

"Come on, you know you want to. Don't deny it." Sam was trying to convince his older brother to go along with their plan, and it wasn't going well. "Besides, the deadline's the day after tomorrow, and we can't risk it! You can do it!"

 

"No, I can't! You know he doesn't feel the same way! It's not going to work, why bother trying?" Dean turned away with a huff. "You of all people should know this."

 

Sam quickly hopped around to where Dean was facing him. "Hey. I think it will. We've already started preparing, so you have to do it anyway. Hurry up." He left Dean and hopped to Castiel's room.

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

 

Castiel peered over his cup across the table at Dean, who seemed to be very nervous about something. "Dean, are you okay?" he asked.

 

The beast jumped and looked up. "What? Yeah, I'm fine, why?" He glanced around and cleared his throat. "No need to worry." Pushing his plate away, he stood and  walked around the table.

 

Cas stood with him. "All right. Why did you-" He was cut off as Dean took his hands and began pulling him toward the ballroom. "Huh?"

 

Dean smiled and placed his paw on Castiel's waist. "Just go along with it." He spun the human around and began waltzing across the room. To his surprise,  Cas took to it pretty quickly. "Wow. You're pretty good at this," he commented.

 

Castiel shrugged. "I'm a natural at stuff like this. I don't know why." He let Dean pull him toward the balcony and sit him down.

 

After a moment of silence, Dean began speaking. "Are... Are you happy here?" he asked softly.

 

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Castiel immediately responded. He looked away over the woods.

 

"Something wrong? Is there something you want?" Dean said, scooting closer to the human and trying to look him in the eye.

 

The blue-eyed man sighed and turned back to Dean. "It's just... I want to see my father. At least one more time."

 

Dean bit his bottom lip. "There's a way. Here," he said, pulling a green mirror out of his jacket. "It's magic. It shows you whatever you ask it to." He handed it to Castiel. "Try it."

 

"I'd like to see my father. Please." Cas said to the mirror, looking away when it glowed and swirled. Jimmy was in the woods, coughing and close to death. "Father!" his son cried out, quickly standing and rushing to the door. "Wait... I should give this back." He tried to hand the mirror back to Dean, who pushed it back.

 

"Keep it. It'll help you remember me. You can go. I set you free, you are no longer my prisoner. Go to your father, he needs you." Dean watched forlornly as Castiel dashed out of the castle.

 

Bobby entered the room after the human had left. "Bravo! You did it! Why isn't the curse broken yet?" He hobbled over to the prince and pulled himself onto the bench.

 

"I let him go," Dean said sadly. He looked down at the clock. "I had to."

 

"B-b-but why?!?  We were so close!" Bobby sputtered out.

 

"Because I love him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I had writer's block for the longest time. Just watched the movie again, it helped a lot, so MAYBE the story will finish soon...


	27. Kill the Beast!

"Then why aren't we human again?!?" Bobby demanded, running up to Dean. "What did you do?!?"

The beast stared down at him. "His father's out looking for him. Cas had to go get him, he's probably going to take him back home. He's never coming back." With a sigh, he looked back out the window, watching the human ride his red horse out onto the path and disappear into the forest.

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Hurry, Charlie, hurry!" Castiel urged the horse to move faster as he raced to his father. He kept glancing at the glowing mirror, switching it between views of Dean and Jimmy. He finally found the collapsed man on the side of the road.

"Father! Come on, let's get you home," the younger man said as he slid off the horse and helped his father on. Jimmy gripped his hand tightly.

"Castiel? I thought I'd never see you again!" Jimmy coughed out. He smiled softly but soon fell asleep as Castiel led Charlie back to their cottage.

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

When they arrived, they were greeted by none other than Crowley. The black-haired man smirked as he came closer. "Back form your little trip, are we, angel?" He snapped his fingers, and several men grabbed Castiel's arms to pin them behind him. "Heard you were captured by a beast. I was going to go save you, but I think I'll kill it anyway." Crowley turned to the gathered townspeople, who had come to see what was going on. "Yes, that's right, there's a beast up there!"

A random woman stepped forward. "A beast?" she asked quietly. "He's not going to kill us all, is he?"

Crowley's smirk grew into a grin. "Of course he is, he's a monster! I think we should kill it to protect the town! Who's with me?" Many of the townsfolk cheered at his statement.

"Wait!" Cas wrenched himself out of the hold the men had on him. "He's not a monster, he's actually very kind! He wouldn't kill anyone! I know him! Look!" He pulled the mirror out of his pocket. "Show me the Beast!"

The mirror swirled multiple colors, finally clearing into a picture of the sulking Dean. He seemed to be talking to Bobby, though no audio was heard. "See? He's not dangerous!" Castiel insisted.

A man stepped out of the crowd. "He still could be!"

"He's in a vulnerable state! We should kill him now!" another man cried.

Crowley nodded. "That we should. And you can't stop us! Lock them in the basement," he ordered.

The two men nodded and pulled Castiel and Jimmy to the cellar doors. They tossed them in ungracefully, slamming the doors shut and locking them from the outside. They turned back to Crowley.

After he made sure the Novaks were secure, the black-haired man waved his hand for the men to follow him. "You all have your weapons. Let's go kill the beast!" They marched off toward the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY. I've been stuck for a while, but I swear on the River Styx that this will be finished within thirty chapters and before New Year's. Now that it's Christmas Break, I have more time and possibly more inspiration. As for the sequel, "Trickster Of The Sea" will be completely drafted in a composition notebook before it is posted. That way there's not another erratic updating schedule like this one. Hope you enjoyed~!


	28. The Warning

Castiel grunted as he threw himself against the cellar doors multiple times. They wouldn't budge, but he did it all the same.

"Cas, please, it's not going to work!" Jimmy pleaded. He grabbed the other's arm and pulled him down. "There's another way out, I think. I built this house with things like this in mind." He led Castiel to a corner where a hidden trapdoor was in the ceiling. "Here. You can use this ladder."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Castiel asked as he opened the trapdoor. He looked back down at his father.

Jimmy's blue eyes sparkled with sadness. "No. I can't make it. You must go and save the beast. It's obvious you care about him, and I don't want your heart to be broken by his death. Go now, quickly, before they kill him!"

Cas nodded and scaled the ladder, pulling himself into the living room. He glanced down at Jimmy, and with a wave, took off running.

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Sam peered out the window of the second floor as he saw torches. "Uhh, Dean? I think there are people here to kill you," he said carefully. He looked up at his brother.

"Let them come," Dean said softly. "They can kill me. I don't care."

Bobby tugged on his fur. "Are you sure? You don't know that he's left for good..."

"I am absolutely sure. Let them in."

Sam sighed and hopped away. "Better do as he asks."

 

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Oh, look, the doors are even opened for us! How sweet," Crowley said as he walked into the foyer. He looked around at the strange amount of furniture. "Take whatever you'd like. The beast's head is mine." 

His men whooped and began raiding as Crowley went up the stairs, but to their surprise, the objects started fighting back. Knives slashed, hot water was dumped, and wardrobes and trunks swallowed the men, until the only ones left were either knocked out or had fled the premises.

Meanwhile, Crowley was stalking up the stairs. He pushed a door open quietly and saw a hulking blond form near the window. When it sensed his arrival, it turned. "You're gonna kill me, aren't you?" it asked. "Take your shot."

Crowley was confused at the beast's lack of a fight, but he shrugged and threw his dagger anyway. He smiled at the monster's roar of pain and walked forward to finish it off.

Suddenly, something rode through the gates. Dean and Crowley looked over the balcony as Castiel came into view. Without stopping, the man had slid off of the horse and ran inside.

"Cas..." Dean said as he sat up straighter, clutching his side. He turned to glare at a surprised Crowley. "You tried to take him away from me, didn't you?!?" he roared. 

Crowley's eyes widened, but he steeled himself. "You care about him? You _love_ him? Ha! No way a beast like _you_ has feelings for him!" He laughed menacingly. "The only feeling you should have is the feeling of death!" He lunged for Dean again, but felt his wrist caught in the beast's paw.

"Get. Out." Dean growled, throwing the human to the floor. 

Crowley grabbed his fallen dagger. "Not without your death!" He threw it again, and this time it lodged in Dean's chest. The beast collapsed and he yanked the knife away from him. "Now that that's over, I'll be taking my leave now." He quickly left the room, hiding as Castiel ran past him.

"Dean!" he cried as he fell to his knees next to the prince. He placed his hands on the wound to try to stem the bleeding. "No, no, no, please don't die on me, please, stay with me!" He choked back tears.

Dean lifted a paw and placed it on Castiel's face. "Cas. Hey, it's okay, don't cry. I deserve it." He let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back.

Castiel threw his arms around the fallen beast. "You can't. I love you too much. Please come back." His tears flowed down his face, and he sobbed into the rapidly cooling fur. 

Suddenly, beams of light rained down upon them. Castiel scrambled back as Dean's body was engulfed in a glow, and was raised to a vertical position. His fur melted away to reveal a human man, his short hair spiking up and his fatal wound disappearing. He sunk back to the floor onto his hands and knees with his head bowed.

The blue-eyed man tilted his head and came closer. "Dean?" he asked quietly, lifting the other man's face. Sure enough, he had the same striking emerald eyes that Castiel had come to know and love.

"Cas," the man said, breaking into a smile and throwing his arms around Castiel's neck. "I can't believe it. You broke the spell!" 

Two other men and a woman raced into the room. Dean immediately got up to meet them. "Sam. Bobby. Ellen! We're back!" He gave each of them a hug, Sam stooping a bit now that he was taller. "He did it."

Castiel walked forward. "Dean, I-" He was cut off by Dean's lips on his.

"Thank you. Will you... Marry me?" Dean asked shyly. "It's the only way I can think to repay you, I mean, you don't have to, but..."

The other man shut him up by kissing him again. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of saying no, after all that's happened."

Sam cleared his throat. "Well, I guess you two have a wedding to plan, and I have a voyage to plan. Bobby, do you want to come with me?"

"All right, fine. As long as we stop on a tropical island or some shit. And don't listen to sailors' stupid stories!"

Dean laughed. "He will, and you know it. Come on, we have a happily ever after to make."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Finally! I let Crowley walk away because I was planning on him appearing later on. I really hope you enjoyed this AU, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr/Twitter! I'm thearrowace


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